Arrest: On April 18, 2016, FSB officers conducted a series of searches and detained Arsen Dzhepparov as part of the so-called Yalta Hizb ut-Tahrir case. A month before his arrest, FSB officers attempted to coerce him into cooperation and demanded testimony against other Crimean Tatars. After his refusal, a criminal case was initiated against him. Human rights defenders consider the persecution politically motivated.

Sentence: On November 12, 2019, the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don found Arsen Dzhepparov guilty under Part 2 of Article 205.5 of the Russian Criminal Code ('participation in the activities of a terrorist organization') and sentenced him to 7 years in a strict regime colony. Human rights organizations emphasize that Hizb ut-Tahrir is legal in Ukraine, and the case was based on hidden witnesses and religious expertise without evidence of preparation or commission of violent acts. Arsen Dzhepparov fully served the unlawfully imposed sentence and was released on April 17, 2023.

Arsen Bormambetovich Dzhepparov was born on January 28, 1991, in the village of Snihurivka, Pervomaisky District, Autonomous Republic of Crimea. When he was three years old, his father died, and he was raised by his mother. In 2004, the family moved to the village of Krasnokamyanka near Yalta. After ninth grade, Arsen enrolled in the Alushta Vocational School, where he trained as a cook. He later studied at the Simferopol College of Kyiv National Economic University named after Vadym Hetman, specializing as a food industry technician-technologist. During his studies, he repeatedly won professional competitions. After completing his military service, he worked in his field.

After the occupation of Crimea, the Russian Federation began large-scale persecution of Crimean Tatars on charges of involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir. Human rights defenders emphasize that in Ukraine, this organization is not banned, and criminal cases are used as a tool to pressure the Crimean Tatar community.

In March 2016, FSB officers tried to force Arsen Dzhepparov to cooperate with the investigation and testify against other Crimean Tatars. After his refusal, on April 18, 2016, security forces searched his home and detained him. Arsen was placed in a pre-trial detention centre until the verdict was issued.

The trial took place in Rostov-on-Don along with other defendants in the Yalta Hizb ut-Tahrir case. The defense repeatedly stated the lack of evidence of terrorist activity, the use of anonymous witnesses, and violations of the right to a fair trial. Despite this, on November 12, 2019, the court sentenced Arsen to seven years in prison.

Arsen Dzhepparov served his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 16 in Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. According to family and human rights defenders, his health significantly deteriorated during imprisonment: he lost about 20 kilograms, complained of severe stomach and pancreas pain. Since October 2022, the colony administration almost continuously placed him in a punishment cell.

On April 17, 2023, Arsen Dzhepparov was released after fully serving the unlawfully imposed sentence. He was met outside the colony by lawyer Edem Semedlyaev and representatives of the Crimean Tatar community. The Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea emphasized that release after serving the full sentence is not a restoration of justice, as he spent seven years in unlawful detention.

In September 2023, Russian security forces briefly detained Arsen Dzhepparov again in occupied Crimea. According to human rights defenders, the detention involved the use of force and a search, but he was later released. This incident indicates continued pressure on former political prisoners even after their release.

As of July 26, 2026, Arsen Dzhepparov remains free after fully serving the unlawful sentence. Human rights organizations continue to consider him a political prisoner, and his case an example of politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars in occupied Crimea.

Information used from open sources: Representation of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Crimean Solidarity, Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners, Ukrinform, Crimean Tatar Resource Center.

Photo: Association of Relatives of Kremlin Political Prisoners.

Update date: 26.07.2026.